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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · club · snap · bay · key · calf · rule · date

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. key — in music
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. date — the fruit
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. club — for golf
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. snap — to click
  16. key — the most important part
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com